Too Close
by Britani Gael
Summary: [movieverse] Missing scene, Sam and Mikaela “You don’t have to be here, you know.”


**Title**: Too Close  
**Words**: 900  
**Summary**: Missing scene, Sam and Mikaela; "You don't have to be here, you know."

They were sitting too close together; not a lot, just a little. Enough to be a little uncomfortable, but they were pretty uncomfortable already, handcuffed and silent in the back of this big black SUV, one little bit of the convoy taking them who knew where. Mikaela was doing her best not to freak out, taking deep and even breaths.

It was hard not to be scared. It was harder when no one was talking.

The two guys in the slick black suits weren't saying anything, at least. In fact, they were so quiet Mikaela could almost imagine they weren't even there – but then again, she already believed in cars that could drive by themselves.

Sam wasn't saying anything, either, but that's because he was staring out the window so she wouldn't notice he'd been crying. He didn't have to do that. She wouldn't tell.

"This sucks," she muttered, but loud enough for everyone to hear in the dead silence. No one said a thing.

She sighed, and stared out the window.

The roads were completely unfamiliar; it made sense, she rarely stepped out of her territory, and even then it was usually only for school field trips. They were out of the city, for sure. Probably going to some secret government compound where, if Simmons could be believe, they could disappear forever.

"You don't have to be here, you know," Sam said.

Mikaela looked up, surprised that he was talking. And then she heard what he said. "_Excuse_ me?"

He fidgeted a little bit.

"Sam…"

"It's just—I've been thinking, you can tell them that this doesn't have anything to do with you, we could get them to let you go, you could…" He didn't seem to know what his mistake was, but he knew he'd done something wrong, because he slumped down in his seat and looked away. "Like I said. You don't have to be here."

"That's what you've been thinking about?" She bristled. "Well, I'm_sorry_, Mr. My Stupid Glasses Could End The World, but just because my name isn't Witwicky doesn't mean I'm not any less involved than you, okay? It's not just about you."

He stared at her. "You got my name right," he said.

She wanted to hit him; not hard, just a little.

Then he said, "I'm sorry."

He really was sorry, she could see it on his crumpled face, and she felt horrible.

This was how she was going to treat the first nice boy she'd known in ages, the guy who'd saved her life?

She hadn't had a chance to think about it yet, but that was kind of a huge deal. Sam almost _died_ trying to catch her. And Bumblebee was tied up and frozen and being shipped like some sick science experiment because he'd saved them both.

And she didn't feel guilty. Okay, maybe a little, if she hadn't slipped… But she knew they didn't blame her, they didn't hate her, and she'd do the same for them if she had the chance. And she might _get_ the chance.

"I want to be here," she said.

Sam looked at her blankly, he looked at the suits in the front seat, he glanced around their little SUV prison. She could see his handcuffed wrists twisting behind his back. "Really," he said.

She laughed. Kind of. It sounded pretty strained. "Well not, you know, _here_. Here really sucks."

"Oh, don't, you'll hurt their feelings." Sam leaned forward, talking to the suits in front. "Isn't that right, guys, huh?"

"Sam, I want to be here with you. And Bumblebee." Okay, so Bumblebee wasn't technically _here_ here, but it counted and she didn't have to explain it to Sam, he understood. "You guys aren't going to disappear into some giant black hole and I never find out what happened to you, you're just…_not_."

Sam smiled. It was weak, but he still really smiled.

Sam didn't have big biceps like Trent did, but she'd gotten kind of used to his hands on her arm, her shoulder, her back. They were warm, and they said things Sam was too shy or too scared to say in words. _I'm okay, we're okay, everything's okay. Are you okay?_ It was reassuring and she… didn't mind that. She'd miss it, even, if it were suddenly gone.

And another thing. "You have to know they wouldn't believe me anyway," she pointed out, sitting back in her seat and ignoring the way that twinged her shoulder. The handcuff thing was really getting old. "What, they're going to let me go, after everything, just because we ask them to?"

Sam rolled his eyes. "C'mon, I said I was _thinking_, not that I had a secret master plan all worked out in my head."

"Is one coming?"

"You kids be quiet," one of the suits snapped.

"We'll be arriving, soon," the other one added.

Mikaela's stomach sank.

Things could be worse, things could definitely be way worse. Even if she had to try real hard to convince herself of that, it was still true. She could be alone. Sam could be alone.

"Things could be worse," Sam said, echoing her thoughts.

"How?" she asked.

"Easy. That creepy Simmons guy could be with us. If they'd even take him, I mean, he's probably some kind of hazard." He grinned. "You saw what Bumblebee did to him, he's probably _flammable_."

She couldn't help it, she giggled; not a lot, just a little.

Nothing had really changed, everything still sucked, but… Sitting so close together just wasn't uncomfortable anymore.


End file.
